Cosmetic Safety (8 myths)

How much do we really know about the cosmetic products that we use on our skin every day? Test your knowledge about harmful ingredients in our skin care products—you might be surprised!

Myth 1: The government protects us from harmful ingredients in cosmetics and skin care products, so there’s nothing to worry about.

Fact: Health Canada has put together the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist—a list of chemicals that are prohibited or restricted in skin care products. But while the Hotlist is a positive step, Health Canada admits that it is not exhaustive, and it’s still up to any company to meet the regulations.

Additionally, restricted ingredients are allowed at certain concentrations, even though new research is refuting the assumed notion that “the dose makes the poison.” Some chemicals are shown to have different effects at different concentrations, and some have negative effects in small doses.

Another serious concern often brought up by health and environmental groups is the so-called “cocktail effect.” This means that even if a chemical is thought to be safe on its own, it’s not known how it might interact with other chemicals in the same product, not to mention how it might interact with individual genetics. Truth is, we don’t really know how safe our products are.

Maggie MacDonald, Toxics Program Manager at the Canadian environmental and health group Environmental Defence explains: “People often assume that if a chemical is in consumer products, then it must be safe. But science isn’t stagnant, and as new research demonstrates that certain chemicals are hazardous, there is a lag time before policy change happens.”

Myth 2: Products used on the skin stay on the skin and aren’t absorbed internally.

Fact: It’s tempting to think that unless we ingest a chemical orally, it doesn’t get into our bodies, but that’s simply not true.

Parabens, for instance, are widely used as preservatives in skin care products—commonly propylparaben and methylparaben. They have been shown in studies to penetrate human skin, be absorbed, and have even been measured in human urine. In fact, a 2006 study detected parabens in 96 of the 100 study participants.

Myth 3: The term “vegan” on a label means the product is natural and safe.

Fact: It’s wonderful to see vegan products increasing in the marketplace, but—as with all cosmetics-—we still need to be careful when deciding which vegan products we choose.

A product with a Certified Vegan logo means that the product doesn’t contain animal products or byproducts. It also hasn’t been tested on animals. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s natural, chemical free, or organic.

To choose a safe vegan product, avoid the drug stores and the big box outlets. Instead, ask your favourite health food retailer about natural, nontoxic products that carry a Certified Vegan logo.

Myth 4: If I’m not a woman of child-bearing age, I don’t need to be concerned about hormone disruptors in my products.

Fact: Not so! Gents, listen up—while men may not use as many products as women, they’re still exposed. Although more studies need to be done, preliminary research has linked chemicals such as phthalates to altered male reproductive health such as semen quality and sperm DNA damage, as well as metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and increased waist circumference.

Environmental Defence recently released a new report, The Manscape, which tested the personal care products of five Canadian men. Turns out they contained chemicals that are probable human carcinogens and hormone disruptors.

Plus, as MacDonald notes, “The hormonal system is complex and sensitive in all human beings, at every stage of life. Scientists have described ‘windows of vulnerability’ meaning that at certain periods, such as puberty, or during the first months of life, our hormonal systems are more vulnerable to the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, but that doesn’t mean exposure won’t have an impact outside of those periods.”

These ingredients also harm the environment and wildlife, and have been detected in drinking water and have adverse effects on fish populations. This means that chemicals in personal care products are not a women’s problem—they affect everyone and everything.

Myth 5: Products without these chemicals aren’t effective.

Fact: This is simply not true. Safe products are effective, and the market is so large today that there’s something for everyone and every specialized skin and beauty concern. European countries, for instance, have much stricter regulations than Canada, forcing companies to create effective products without toxins.

Just like any product, you might have to try out a few brands to see which works for you. Simply drop by a well-stocked natural health retailer and speak to their skin care expert for personalized advice.

Myth 6: Ingredient lists tell all.

Fact: In Canada, companies must list the ingredients on product labels. However, that doesn’t mean that the ingredients are all that’s in the product. For example, methenamine and quaternium-15—while found on the ingredient list—release formaldehyde, which is not listed.

Some ingredients, including a group of ingredients called PEGs, can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, which is a potential carcinogen. This chemical is on Health Canada’s Hotlist—but the potentially contaminated ingredient names listed on products aren’t.

Furthermore, the ingredient “fragrance” or “parfum” can contain dozens of compounds, ranging from harmless to very toxic—phthalates being the most infamous example of harmful ingredients.

Myth 7: Expensive products must be better.

Fact: Some people assume that quality ingredients must be more expensive, therefore upping a resulting product’s retail price. But cost doesn’t matter—many safe and natural skin care products are very economical, while many chemical-laden products are very pricey.

Rather than relying on price, visit your local health food store, read labels, and choose a safe, natural or organic product.

Myth 8: Things aren’t going to change for the better.

Fact: Here’s the good news: consumers are powerful and can lobby companies and government. In fact, they already are.

Many companies are already changing for the better. There have been numerous recent success stories in mainstream companies, such as the US personal care giant Johnson & Johnson announcing last year that it would remove numerous harmful chemicals in its products by the end of 2015. Johnson & Johnson also announced in 2011 that it would phase out formaldehyde-releasing preservatives in its baby shampoo by the end of this year, after consumer outrage.

Government action, too, can occur, and already has. It was only back in 2006 when ingredient lists started being mandatory on products in Canada. Although there’s much more improvement to be made, it can certainly happen.

MacDonald, too, remains hopeful: “As people become more aware of this issue, businesses are moving to make safer, healthier products … Even big companies are starting to remove chemicals like parabens from their products, in response to consumer demand. Three years ago, you wouldn’t have found ‘paraben free’ on the product labels of items in major chain stores; now that’s getting more common. We have a long way to go, but it’s getting better all the time.”

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Dirty Dozen for cosmetics

The David Suzuki Foundation’s Dirty Dozen list of cosmetic ingredients includes:

1. BHA and BHT
2. Coal tar dyes
3. DEA-related ingredients
4. Dibutyl phthalate
5. Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives
6. Parabens
7. “Parfum” or “fragrance”
8. PEG compounds
9. Petrolatum
10. Siloxanes
11. Sodium laureth sulphate
12. Triclosan

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Cleaning Grocery Cart

We’re exposed to toxins when we take a deep breath, nibble a bite of food, or just go about our day-to-day activities. Alas, our bodies create their own toxic byproducts as a result of biochemical processes in the body. The truth is: toxins are everywhere. Fight back the next time you go grocery shopping!

Battle of the burden

For millennia, the human body’s detoxification systems—including the liver, kidneys, skin, and lungs—have been able to keep pace with the byproducts of living. But with hundreds of new synthetic chemicals being introduced into foods, body care products, and home supplies, the burden has become too much for our bodies to handle without a little help.

Compare your body to your refrigerator. Week after week you fill your refrigerator with groceries and leftovers. If your family is like most, some items get pushed to the back and forgotten about. Eventually, if you don’t watch out, you’ve got expired yogourt, wilted lettuce, and you’re doing your own mold experiments on unidentifiable food products. There comes a time on everyone’s chore list to empty and wipe down that refrigerator. Likewise, with all the stuff your body has to deal with, it frequently needs a thorough cleaning too.

Cleansing can help

As a result, many natural health care practitioners advocate regular cleansing or detoxification programs to help cleanse the body of junk and restore balance. No matter what sort of cleanse we choose, it will undoubtedly involve two steps: first we must minimize our exposure to toxins, and then we clean up the ones that have accumulated. Since many of the toxins in our bodies arrive in the foods we eat, we can reduce our intake significantly by making better choices at the supermarket.

Here’s a guided tour around the market that will help to detoxify your shopping cart—with suggestions for items to buy and others to leave on the shelf.

Produce aisle

You’ve likely heard that the most nourishing foods are found in the outside aisles of your grocery store, but you might be surprised to learn about health hazards skulking even there. While experts agree it’s wise to load up on fruits and vegetables, be aware of the possible health dangers lurking in the produce department.

Chemicals used on conventional produce, including herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides, still remain on the produce from farm to market to kitchen. (In fact, Health Canada has established limits on how much of an individual chemical is allowed to remain on the produce after harvest.) And these chemicals have the potential to pose serious health risks. Atrazine, for example, is used on corn and is known to cause developmental effects in utero, as well as affect the endocrine and reproductive systems.

Other pesticides, including the pyrethrin family, are linked to skin problems, digestive disorders, and neurological challenges. These are just two of dozens of dangerous chemicals listed on Health Canada’s website.

As often as possible, opt for organic produce to limit your exposure to chemicals. Although there may be some concern as to whether organic produce is always 100 percent chemical free because of winds, water runoff, and sometimes packaging practices, organic produce is cleaner and will help to lower your toxic burden.

When organic isn’t an option, choose foods with a thick peel that’s removed before eating, such as pineapple, avocado, citrus fruit, and kiwi, which are not considered as high risk as other conventionally farmed produce. Likewise, choosing local, in-season produce may also help to reduce your exposure to waxes and fungicides used to keep well-traveled produce preserved for long distance journeys.

Meat counter

You remember the pesticide atrazine mentioned earlier as a danger in the produce aisle? Because atrazine is used on corn, which is a popular feed for livestock, this pesticide is also present in eggs, meat, and cattle products. Of course, atrazine is just one chemical that may end up in livestock, and government regulations allow a percentage of these compounds to be present in finished meat products. To reduce your exposure, opt for organic meat, dairy, and eggs.

If your shopping trip involves bagged lunch items, you may want to skip the deli counter. Lunch meats often contain chemical flavoring agents, colours, and preservatives that add to your toxic load and may trigger reactions such as migraine headaches.

Cold meats, hot dogs, and bacon may also contain nitrates to prevent spoilage. Unfortunately, these nitrates combine in your stomach with amines (formed by the breakdown of protein) to create nitrosamines, known carcinogens. Nitrosation can also occur in response to tobacco smoke as well as some pharmaceuticals and personal care products, so be sure to include vitamin C-rich foods such as tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries to your daily menu. Vitamin C may reduce the impact of nitrosamines.

When it comes to fish, focus your intake on varieties containing the lowest levels of mercury. Choose from wild anchovies, herring, mackerel, perch, wild salmon, sardines, and whitefish.

Go non-GMO

Many of us would prefer to avoid genetically modified foods, as only time will tell the health impact they could have on us. Unfortunately, Health Canada does not require companies to specify whether ingredients used in their prepared foods are genetically modified. Instead, look for labels used by conscientious corporations declaring that their ingredients are non-GMO. Further, certified organic products cannot be genetically modified, according to government regulations, so look for the Biologique Canada Organic logo when you pick up your groceries.

Canned and bottled goods

There are plenty of toxins to watch for in canned products. Health Canada finally acknowledged that bisphenol A (BPA) is a toxin linked to hormone disruption, and plastic bottles made with BPA have since been phased out. Unfortunately, many canned goods are still lined with a BPA epoxy. When you purchase canned goods, look for those with “BPA-free” on the label.

Once you’ve eliminated packaging toxins from your cart, it’s time to focus on the contents of the cans. Even so-called healthy foods such as canned vegetables and soups often contain chemical preservatives, flavour enhancers, artificial colours, and artificial sweeteners meant to make the product more appealing. Read the label, and remember the first rule of toxin avoidance: if you can’t pronounce an ingredient or don’t know what it is, leave the product on the shelf.

Likewise, look to the label to determine the amount of sodium and sugar in your canned goods. Remember that any word ending in “ose” is a sugar (glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose, etc.). Most North Americans consume excess sugar, which is a factor in inflammation,
immune system impairment, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

Be conscious, as well, of the recommended serving size found on products. We often assume a can of soup, for example, is one serving, when it usually contains two or more. Consuming the whole can, therefore, could meet your daily sodium or sugar intake in just a single meal.

Checkout

No matter how carefully you’ve loaded your cart, you aren’t safe yet. Some cash register receipts are a known source of BPA. Ask your retailer if there is BPA in their receipts and when wearing gloves isn’t an option, be sure to wash your hands as soon as possible after checking out.

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Paper smarts

Purchase unbleached paper products, including toilet tissue, dinner napkins, diapers, and feminine products, to reduce exposure to hormone-disrupting and carcinogenic chlorinated dioxins.

Know the signs

Some signs it may be time to detoxify include

• constipation or diarrhea
• bad breath
• frequent headaches
• frequent cold and flu
• low energy
• skin conditions
• sensitivities
• mood swings

The Dirty Dozen

According to the Environmental Working Group, these are the most heavily sprayed crops. Opt for organic when buying

• apples
• celery
• strawberries
• peaches
• spinach
• nectarines
• grapes
• sweet bell peppers
• potatoes
• blueberries
• lettuce
• kale and collard greens

Slow cooking rules

Meats cooked at high temperatures contain the carcinogens heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Avoid eating blackened meat.

The worst offenders

Avoid these top 10 GM foods:

• corn
• soy
• cottonseed
• canola
• papaya
• sugar beets
• alfalfa
• golden rice
• salmon
• pork

On tap

Bottled water is not subject to the same rigorous testing as your municipal water supply. Instead of packaged water, investigate home filtration systems for your tap water to remove traces of chlorine, lead, copper, and pesticides. Pour filtered water into stainless steel containers for water when you’re on the go.

10 foods to promote cleansing

Apples
This Canadian classic is available year-round and offers up plenty of beneficial phytochemicals, which may help protect against some cancers, as well as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Apples also provide the soluble fibre pectin, which helps to protect organs against radiation. Apples are one of the most chemically sprayed conventional fruits, so opt for organic.

Beets
This high-fibre root is chock full of calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc as well as vitamins B3, B6, C, and beta carotene, all required to promote cleansing and elimination of toxins. Beets also support the health of the liver and gallbladder.

Brassicas
Fill your cart with cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower. These vegetables induce Phase I and Phase II enzymes responsible for the reduction and metabolism of endogenous (created in your body) and exogenous
(from outside your body) carcinogens. Brassica vegetables also contain micronutrients
that may protect DNA from free radicals.

Citrus
Lemons, limes, and oranges boost digestion with an abundant supply of enzymes. A rich source of vitamin C, these fruits also help to metabolize toxins. Start your day with a
glass of water with the alkalizing juice of half a lemon.

Flaxseeds
Buy these seeds whole and grind them in a coffee or nut grinder to be sure to get fresh benefits. A source of omega-3 fats, these seeds also contain lignans that help to protect against breast cancer progression. They also provide both insoluble and soluble fibre to boost elimination.

Garlic
Antiviral, antiseptic, antibiotic garlic is a delicious source of sulphuric compounds that help produce detoxification enzymes in the liver. Include some raw garlic in your recipes to add heat and improved health benefits.

Green tea
Many studies support the health benefits of green tea, and when it comes to detoxification, this beverage is hot—particularly in reducing the damaging effects of chemicals. Nutrients called catechins help to increase liver function.

Herbs
Whether you choose cilantro to help chelate heavy metals, turmeric to protect cells, or parsley to support the kidneys, fresh herbs and spices offer a cornucopia of cleansing benefits while helping to reduce your salt intake.

Leafy greens
Kale, spinach, chard, arugula, and other organic leafy greens are a source of blood-cleansing chlorophyll. Chlorophyll also helps support healthy cells. Dandelion leaves are known to boost liver cleanup.

Nuts and seeds
Enjoy a concentrated burst of easily digestible nutrients such as protein and anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats in seeds such as chia, hemp, pumpkin, sesame, or sunflower. A daily handful of almonds, Brazil nuts, and walnuts are also powerful additions to your cleansing menu.

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Sunshine Vitamin is a cancer prevention

A growing body of evidence supports the link between vitamin D and cancer prevention.

Research shows that adequate amounts of the “sunshine vitamin” help reduce the risk of colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers.

Vitamin D gets its nickname because people produce the substance after bare skin is exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet radiation.

Rushing out to sunbathe isn’t the answer, though: too much time in the sun—even 10 minutes a day—can increase the risk of skin cancer.

It’s not fully understood how vitamin D diminishes cancer risk, but it is thought the substance promotes cellular differentiation and decreases cancer cell growth.

Consider the evidence

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that postmenopausal women who took calcium and vitamin D supplements had a 60 percent lower overall incidence of cancer.

In the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort, the diet, medical history, and lifestyle of more than 120,000 men and women were analyzed. Men who had the highest intakes of vitamin D (through their diet and supplement use) had a lower risk of colorectal cancer than men with the lowest amounts.

Other strengths of the sunshine vitamin

The sunshine vitamin plays a key role in several physiological processes that are essential for good health, including

• the formation, growth, and repair of bones
• normal calcium absorption
• immune function
• improved muscle strength
• reducing inflammation

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to rickets (a condition in children marked by soft and deformed bones) and osteoporosis.

Sources of vitamin D

Because of Canada’s northern latitude, the sun’s rays are weaker in the fall and winter. Canadian adults should consider taking vitamin D supplementation of 1,000 international units (IU) a day during the fall and winter, and, in some cases, all year round.

People who are especially at risk of having lower vitamin D levels include

• those who are older
• people with dark skin
• people who don’t spend much time outdoors
• those who wear clothing that covers most of their skin

Vitamin D is also found in some foods, such as fatty fish, fish liver oil, and eggs, and to a lesser extent meat and cheese. Most dietary vitamin D comes from fortified foods, such as milk, juice, yogourt, bread, and breakfast cereals.

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